LIFT, v.t. [We retain this sense in shoplifter. L. levo, elevo.]

1. The act of raising; a lifting; as, the lift of the feet in walking or running. – Bacon. The goat gives the fox a life. – L'Estrange.
2. An effort to raise; as, give us a lift. [Popular use.]
3. That which is to be raised.
4. A dead lift, an ineffectual effort to raise; or the thing which the strength is not sufficient to raise.
5. Any thing to be done which exceeds the strength; or a state of inability; as, to help one at a dead lift. – Butler. Swift.
6. A rise; a degree of elevation; as, the lift of a lock in canals. – Gallatin.
7. In Scottish, the sky; the atmosphere; the firmament. [Sax. lyft, air, Sw. luft.]
8. In seamen's language, a rope descending from the cap and mast-head to the extremity of a yard. Its use is to support the yard, keep it in equilibrio, and raise the end, when occasion requires. – Mar. Dict.

1. To try to raise; to exert the strength for the purpose of raising or bearing. The body strained by lifting at a weight too heavy. – Locke.
2. To practice theft. [Obs.] – Spenser.

1. To raise; to elevate; as, to lift the foot or the hand; to lift the head.
2. To raise; to elevate mentally. To thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. – Ps. xxv.
3. To raise in fortune. The eye of the Lord lifted up his bead from misery. – Ecclus.
4. To raise in estimation, dignity or rank. His fortune has lifted him into notice, or into office. The Roman virtues lift up mortal man. – Addison.
5. To elate; to cause to swell, as with pride. Up is often used after lift, as a qualifying word; sometimes with effect or emphasis; very often, however, it is useless.
6. To bear; to support. – Spenser.
7. To steal, that is, to take and carry away. Hence we retain the use of shoplifter, although the verb in this sense is obsolete.
8. In Scripture, to crucify. When ye have lifted up the Son of man. – John viii. To lift up the eyes, to look; to fix the eyes on. Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld Jordan. – Gen. xiii. #2. To direct the desires to God in prayer. Ps. cxxi. To lift up the head, to raise from a low condition; to exalt. – Gen. xl. #2. To rejoice. – Luke xxi. To lift up the hand, to swear, or to confirm by oath. – Gen. xiv. #2. To raise the hands in prayer. – Ps. xxviii. #3. To rise in opposition to; to rebel; to assault. – 2 Sam. xviii. #4. To injure or oppress. – Job xxxi. #5. To shake off sloth and engage in duty. – Heb. xii. To lift up the face, to look to with confidence, cheerfulness and comfort. – Job xxii. To lift up the heel against, to treat with insolence and contempt. To lift up the horn, to behave arrogantly or scornfully. – Ps. lxxv. To lift up the feet, to come speedily to one's relief. – Ps. lxxiv. To lift up the voice, to cry aloud; to call out, either in grief or joy. – Gen. xxi. Is. xxiv.

1. The sky; the atmosphere; the firmament.
   
   
   [Obs. or Scot.]
2. To move in a direction opposite to that of gravitation; to raise; to elevate; to bring up from a lower place to a higher; to upheave; sometimes implying a continued support or holding in the higher place; -- said of material things; as, to lift the foot or the hand; to lift a chair or a burden.
   
   

3. To try to raise something; to exert the strength for raising or bearing.
   
   

   Strained by lifting at a weight too heavy. Locke.

4. Act of lifting; also, that which is lifted.
5. To raise, elevate, exalt, improve, in rank, condition, estimation, character, etc.; -- often with up.
   
   

   The Roman virtues lift up mortal man. Addison.

   Lest, being lifted up with pride. 1 Tim. iii. 6.

6. To rise; to become or appear raised or elevated; as, the fog lifts; the land lifts to a ship approaching it.
7. The space or distance through which anything is lifted; as, a long lift.
   
   
   Bacon.
8. To bear; to support.
   
   
   [Obs.] Spenser.
9. To live by theft.
   
   
   Spenser.
10. Help; assistance, as by lifting; as, to give one a lift in a wagon.
    
    
    [Colloq.]

    The goat gives the fox a lift. L'Estrange.

11. To collect, as moneys due; to raise.
12. That by means of which a person or thing lifts or is lifted
    
    
    ; as: (a)
13. To steal; to carry off by theft (esp. cattle); as, to lift a drove of cattle.
    
    

    * In old writers, lift is sometimes used for lifted.

    He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered. Shak.

    To lift up, to raise or elevate; in the Scriptures, specifically, to elevate upon the cross. John viii. 28. -- To lift up the eyes. To look up; to raise the eyes, as in prayer. Ps. cxxi. 1. -- To lift up the feet, to come speedily to one's relief. Ps. lxxiv. 3. -- To lift up the hand. (a) To take an oath. Gen. xiv. 22. (b) To pray. Ps. xxviii. 2. (c) To engage in duty. Heb. xii. 12. -- To lift up the hand against, to rebel against; to assault; to attack; to injure; to oppress. Job xxxi. 21. -- To lift up one's head, to cause one to be exalted or to rejoice. Gen. xl. 13. Luke xxi. 28. -- To lift up the heel against, to treat with insolence or unkindness. John xiii.18. -- To lift up the voice, to cry aloud; to call out. Gen. xxi. 16.

14. A rise; a degree of elevation; as, the lift of a lock in canals.
15. A lift gate. See Lift gate, below.
    
    
    [Prov. Eng.]
16. A rope leading from the masthead to the extremity of a yard below; -- used for raising or supporting the end of the yard.
17. One of the steps of a cone pulley.
18. A layer of leather in the heel.
19. That portion of the vibration of a balance during which the impulse is given.
    
    
    Saunier.

    Dead lift. See under Dead. Swift. -- Lift bridge, a kind of drawbridge, the movable part of which is lifted, instead of being drawn aside. -- Lift gate, a gate that is opened by lifting. -- Lift hammer. See Tilt hammer. -- Lift lock, a canal lock. -- Lift pump, a lifting pump. - - Lift tenter (Windmills), a governor for regulating the speed by adjusting the sails, or for adjusting the action of grinding machinery according to the speed. -- Lift wall (Canal Lock), the cross wall at the head of the lock.